1. Technical Field
The present invention pertains to firearm training systems, such as those disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/486,342, entitled xe2x80x9cNetwork-Linked Laser Target Firearm Training Systemxe2x80x9d and filed Feb. 25, 2000; Ser. No. 09/761,102, entitled xe2x80x9cFirearm Simulation and Gaming System and Method for Operatively Interconnecting a Firearm Peripheral to a Computer Systemxe2x80x9d and filed Jan. 16, 2001; Ser. No. 09/760,610, entitled xe2x80x9cLaser Transmitter Assembly Configured For Placement Within a Firing Chamber and Method of Simulating Firearm Operationxe2x80x9d and filed Jan. 16, 2001; Ser. No. 09/760,611, entitled xe2x80x9cFirearm Laser Training System and Method Employing Modified Blank Cartridges for Simulating Operation of a Firearmxe2x80x9d and filed Jan. 16, 2001; and Ser. No. 09/761,170, entitled xe2x80x9cFirearm Laser Training System and Kit Including a Target Having Sections of Varying Reflectivity for Visually Indicating Simulated Projectile Impact Locationsxe2x80x9d and filed Jan. 16, 2001. The disclosures of the above-mentioned patent applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. In particular, the present invention pertains to a firearm laser training system employing an actuable target assembly to facilitate firearm training, competitions or other firearm related activities.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Firearms are utilized for a variety of purposes, such as hunting, sporting competition, law enforcement and military operations. The inherent danger associated with firearms necessitates training and practice in order to minimize the risk of injury. However, special facilities are required to facilitate practice of handling and shooting the firearm. These special facilities tend to provide a sufficiently sized area for firearm training and/or confine projectiles propelled from the firearm within a prescribed space, thereby preventing harm to the surrounding environment. Accordingly, firearm trainees are required to travel to the special facilities in order to participate in a training session, while the training sessions themselves may become quite expensive since each session requires new ammunition for practicing handling and shooting of the firearm.
The related art has attempted to overcome the above-mentioned problems by utilizing laser or other light energy with firearms to simulate firearm operation and indicate simulated projectile impact locations on intended targets. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,934,634 (Hellberg) discloses an attachment for an ordinary firearm which temporarily converts that firearm to a game or practice device. The conversion is achieved by a special target in combination with attachments for the firearm trigger guard and barrel. The target is actuated by a photocell in response to detection of a light ray. The barrel includes an illumination source attached thereto, while the trigger guard has a time delay switch enabling the light source to remain illuminated for a period of time sufficient to assure actuation of the target.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,526,972 (Sumpf) discloses a marksman""s practicing device for use as an attachment on a shotgun or the like having a casing adapted for attachment to a barrel. The casing includes a light source disposed therein having a trigger-actuated switch to energize the light source to produce a light beam within the casing and a beam directing mechanism for projecting the beam coaxially from the barrel. The device is employed in connection with a light sensitive target having a bull""s eye formed by a selenium cell or the like. The cell may be installed in a stationary position or constructed for movement in a random or flight imitating path, and is connected to an audio visual signal device to indicate a hit upon the target.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,633,285 (Sesney) discloses a laser transmitting device for marksmanship training. The device is readily mountable to the barrel of a firearm and transmits a light beam upon actuation of the firearm firing mechanism. The laser device is triggered in response to an acoustical transducer detecting sound energy developed by the firing mechanism. The light beam is detected by a target having a plurality of light detectors, whereby an indication of aim accuracy may be obtained.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,376 (Kimble et al) discloses a miniaturized laser assembly mounted on a weapon where the power source and circuitry for the laser assembly are contained within the weapon. The laser weapon is fired in a normal manner by squeezing the trigger while aiming at a target. The laser emits a harmless invisible signal pulse of coherent light, while a silicon photodiode may be mounted on a stationary, moving, pop-up or personally worn version of the target. In response to activation of the photodiode by a pulse of laser light, circuitry connected to the photodiode energizes a horn to indicate a successfully aimed and fired shot.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,048,489 (Gianetti) discloses a light operated target shooting system. An electro-optic light pulse generator is contained in a gun sight holder and serves as the light source in a light responsive target shooting system. The pulse generator is a laser or other light emitting unit, mounted with an optical system, electronic controls and a battery power source in the interior of the unit. When the user shoots the gun, light pulses are beamed in the direction that the gun and sight holder are pointed. In a disclosed system, the light pulses are directed toward a target structure including light sensors spaced over the target surface. The sensors provide electrical signals or a change in an electrically sensed circuit parameter that is used to actuate a scoring device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,370 (Marshall et al) discloses a linear motion and pop-up target training system for training a marksman to fire a simulated weapon. The system includes a model-board having a terrain surface with six pop-up targets and three bi-directional linear motion targets. Each target emits a pulsed beam of infrared light in response to activation by a first microprocessor computer. The weapon includes a sensor that senses the pulsed infrared beam emitted by the activated target. The sensor supplies an analog signal, proportional to the amount of received light, to a rifle electronics circuit that converts the analog signal to a digital logic signal. A second microprocessor computer receives and processes the digital logic signal in accordance with a predetermined computer program to determine whether the marksman has scored a hit, a miss or a near miss upon the activated target.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,845 (Gallagher et al) discloses a target system for laser marksmanship training devices. The system includes one or more photodetectors mounted on a target and sensitive to one or more pulses of the wavelength of a laser beam simulating the projectile of a weapon. An amplifier increases the power output of the photodetectors, while the amplified signal operates a frequency selective transducer. The transducer is attached and acoustically coupled to the target and produces a vibration signature simulating the vibration characteristics of a weapon-fired projectile striking the target. A microphone sensitive to the vibration signature of the transducer is acoustically coupled to the target, while a drive mechanism lowers the target out of the field of view of the weapon when the microphone receives a vibration signature from the transducer indicating a hit.
The related art suffers from several disadvantages. In particular, the Hellberg, Sesney and Gianetti systems typically utilize a stationary target to provide firearm training, thereby limiting those systems with respect to the training scenarios and firearm exercises that may be conducted. The Kimble et al and Sumpf systems may employ a moving or actuable target, respectively, however, these targets are employed to simulate a flight path of an actual intended target or to indicate a hit via target actuation. Thus, the targets provide specific aspects of firearm training or are employed merely to indicate a hit, and are similarly limited with respect to the training scenarios and firearm exercises that may be conducted. Further, the Gallagher et al system typically employs a pop-up target utilized for live ammunition, thereby increasing system costs and requiring sufficient space to utilize the targets. The Marshall et al system utilizes a sensor mounted on a firearm, and moving and pop-up targets disposed on a model board that emit light. Accordingly, this system tends to have less accuracy with respect to detecting proper firearm positioning and is limited to the particular scenario presented by the model board. In addition, the systems described above do not generally provide a manner to enable a user to customize and vary the particular training scenario and target sequence or actuation for firearm training.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to simulate operation of a firearm and conduct firearm training exercises with various training scenarios.
It is another object of the present invention to enable a user to customize and vary the particular training scenario and utilize the resulting scenario for firearm training.
Yet another object of the present invention is to employ an actuable target assembly within a firearm laser training system to conduct various firearm training exercises with varying training scenarios.
According to the present invention, a firearm laser training system employing an actuable target assembly includes a laser transmitter assembly, one or more actuable target assemblies each having a target, an interface unit and a computer system. The laser assembly is attached to an unloaded user firearm to adapt the firearm for compatibility with the training system. A user aims an unloaded firearm at a particular target and actuates the firearm trigger to project a laser beam from the laser transmitter assembly toward that target. The target assemblies raise and lower targets in accordance with control signals from the computer system.
The interface unit is connected to the target assemblies and to the computer system parallel port and transmits control signals received from the computer system to the target assemblies. In an alternative embodiment, the computer system is connected to a control unit, while the target assemblies are connected to a distribution unit. The control unit is typically connected to the computer system parallel port and transmits control signals received from the computer system to the target assemblies via the distribution unit.
The targets are raised by corresponding target assemblies at prescribed times for a specific time interval to indicate intended targets for the user, and are lowered in response to the beam impacting the raised targets within that interval (e.g., indicating a hit) or upon expiration of the interval without a beam impact (e.g., indicating a miss). The target is used in conjunction with signal processing circuitry adapted to detect the laser beam. A corresponding target assembly control unit analyzes detection signals from an associated target to lower that raised target in response to beam impact and forwards information to the computer system to provide feedback information to the user via a display.
The above and still further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of specific embodiments thereof, particularly when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals in the various figures are utilized to designate like components.